Getting Started
The purpose of this page is provide you with an overview of worm composting. Be assured that I will also be providing many other articles and blog posts that explore the various aspects of vermicomposting in much greater detail.
Here is a video I made some time ago that discusses the “fundamentals” of worm composting. If you are looking for a quick and dirty overview of this topic you may want to check it out:
Below is a more detailed description of some of the more important components you’ll likely want to consider before starting up your first vermicomposting system (keep in mind that this section was actually written LONG before I made the fundamentals video).
When it comes to starting up your vermicomposting system there are four main components to consider: 1) Container (worm bin), 2) Bedding, 3) Waste material, and of course 4) Composting worms.
Once you have read through those sections you should be well on your way towards being able to set up your own worm composting system. I have also included a section on building & setting up a worm bin, where I’ve included some YouTube videos I made.
There are a wide variety of options when it comes to choosing the type of worm bin you want to set up. If you are the handy type you may want to build your own creation, OR if you don’t mind spending the money perhaps you will opt for purchasing a complete worm bin system (which may come with bin, bedding and worms).
For anyone interested in simply trying out vermicomposting (or if you want to save some money), I would recommend heading to your local hardware store and grabbing yourself a standard Rubbermaid tub (with lid) or something similar.
Some things to keep in mind when you choose your vessel – 1) Light penetration, 2) Surface area vs depth. An ideal bin will be opaque (ie not allowing in light) and will be relatively shallow.
Red worms (and earth worms in general) are very sensitive to direct light – it can lead to considerable stress and even death if they unable to escape from it.
As far as depth goes, you don’t need to worry too much about exact dimensions but you definitely do want to put more emphasis on the surface area – this allows for greater oxygenation of the bin and also allows the worms to spread out more.
In other words, a Rubbermaid tub will be much better than a bucket.
Something I would recommend is either setting up multiple small bins OR one decent sized bin. The larger the system the more buffering capacity it will have. For example, I have a very large outdoor bin (5X3X3 feet). All worm composting experience aside, the sheer size of this system makes it very worry free. Even if there are unfavorable conditions in one section of the bin, the worms can easily move into many other favorable zones.
Similarly, I tend to keep 2 or 3 small indoor bins at one time, plus an “overflow” bucket (for excess food waste), thus making it much easier to ensure that balanced conditions prevail.
All that being said, there is nothing wrong with a single worm bin in the size range of a typical ‘blue box’ recycling container. This size of bin should be large enough to provide both buffering capacity and waste-processing potential for a typical household (especially if you use an overflow bucket and/or an outdoor composting heap as well).
Another important thing to mention is aeration. If you are using a typical Rubbermaid type of bin its not a bad idea to drill some holes in the lid and along the sides prior to adding your bedding/worms etc. This allows for more air flow in and out of the bin. If you have your bin sitting on some sort of tray you may even desire to drill a few holes in the bottom of the bin – a great way to ensure bin contents don’t get too waterlogged.
Composting worms not only need food, but also some sort of habitat to live in – bedding materials provide both. Ideal worm living conditions can be created initially by adding lots of bedding material with a decent amount of waste material (and likely some water to ensure adequate moisture conditions).
People often refer to the ideal composting moisture content as being similar to that of a wrung-out sponge. Higher moisture levels do tend to work better for worm composting, but this is definitely a good guideline to start with (especially when using a water-tight bin).
Some great materials for bedding include shredded cardboard (my favorite), shredded newspaper, aged straw, coconut coir, fall leaves and peat moss (although I prefer not to use this material since it is not harvested in a sustainable or environmentally-friendly manner). Worms seem to absolutely love rotting leaves, so definitely don’t be so quick to kick those bags to the curb in the fall. The downside of using leaves (aside from seasonality) is the fact that they don’t really absorb much water – this is why my ideal bedding will consist of a mix of leaves and brown cardboard (another material worms seem to have a real affinity for).
Bedding materials will typically need to be moistened before worms are added. In fact, a practice I highly recommend when starting a new bin is mixing bedding with a decent amount of moist food waste, then simply letting the mixture sit in a closed bin for a week or so before adding worms. This way you are creating a very friendly environment for your worms to live in. Aside from activating the important microbial community, this also allows for moisture to makes its way throughout the bin materials.
Waste Materials (ie Worm Food)
Usually people set up their own worm bin at home so they can compost their food scraps and leftovers. Unfortunately not all waste materials are created equal from a worm’s standpoint (or a human health standpoint for that matter), so we should talk a little about what should and should not be added to an indoor worm bin.
YES
- Vegetable & fruit waste (citrus fruit should be added in moderation when using smaller bins)
- Starchy materials – bread, pasta, rice, potatoes – all in moderation (beginners may want to avoid these altogether initially)
- Aged animal manures (careful with rabbit and poultry – need lots of bedding to balance)
- Shredded newspaper, used paper towels (common sense applies here), cardboard (great idea to add these carbon rich materials at the same time you add any wet food waste)
- Egg shells (best if ground up and in moderation)
- Coffee grounds
- Tea bags
NO
- Human/pet waste
- Non biodegradable materials
- Dairy/meat
- Oils/grease
- Harsh chemicals
These are fairly basic guidelines and of course there are exceptions under certain circumstances. I will definitely be going into much more detail in later articles.
Something I alluded to in the previous section was the fact that letting your waste material sit for a period of time is better than adding it right away. Often people assume that the worms feed directly on the waste materials themselves. In a sense they do, but more specifically they are slurping up the microbial soup that forms on rotting materials. If you throw in a bunch of fresh carrot peelings the worms won’t be able to start processing the material until sufficient microbial colonization has occured.
As I mentioned above, a fantastic way to ensure that your new bin takes off successfully is to mix a decent quantity of waste material in with your fresh bedding, then simply letting the bin sit for a week or so before adding the worms. I know this can be a challenge for those people anxious to get started, but it will go a long way in terms of ensuring your success.
Should you choose not to wait (obviously if you get your worms at the same time you get your bin it doesn’t make sense to wait) I would highly recommend that you at least try to add some partially rotting materials so that the worms have something to feed on.
I like to keep food waste in an old milk carton that sits under my sink. Aside from the convenience of not needing to take it down to the basement (where my indoor bins are located) or outside (to my outdoor bin) multiple times per day, this also allows time for microbial colonization of the materials – and don’t worry, you won’t have a stinky mess in your container if you do it properly (I’ll definitely write more about that in another article).
One of the common misconceptions amongst vermicomposting beginners is that any earthworm can be used for worm composting, or kept in an indoor bin in general.
I can still remember the disappointment of discovering (during my teenage years) that I could not keep a population of soil dwelling worms in a bucket. Before becoming interested in worm composting I was an avid aquarium hobbyist, always looking for ways to raise live food for my fish. Having heard that people were able to keep thriving “worm bins” in their house I naturally assumed they were raising the same kind I found in my garden.
Eventually I learned that most of my yard worms were of the “anecic” type – that is to say they were soil dwelling worms that create burrows and tend to lead a somewhat solitary existence (they need their space). The worms ideally suited for composting on the other hand are referred to as “epigeic”. This group tends to live in rich organic material (not soil), and are adapted to crowding and warmer temperatures. So its not difficult to see why epigeic worms would do much better in an indoor composting bin than their soil dwelling cousins.
By far, the most common variety of composting worm is Eisenia fetida – also known as the red worm or red wiggler (see the “Quick Facts” section for other names). If you are looking to start up your own worm composting bin this is definitely the worm for you. There are other species of composting worm, but we can deal with them in future articles.
So where does on get ahold of some of these worms??
Well there are various options. The easiest (but most expensive) is to simply buy them. There are a wide variety of online merchants who will sell them to you, OR you may be able to track down a local supplier (I will be eventually setting up a comprehensive supplier directory to help people find merchants in their area). If you need some recommendations simply drop me an email.
In general worms are pretty expensive (typically running somewhere between $25 and $40/lb USD, although decent discounts tend to be given on larger orders), but it’s amazing how fast you can build a large thriving population starting with only a pound of worms.
Another option is to track down someone else with a worm bin in your area and ask them to share. Over the years I’ve been given worms on multiple occasions and now happily ‘pay it forward’ on occasion myself. Getting in touch with your local gardening clubs or municiple waste management division should prove helpful.
Composting worms (E. fetida) don’t typically occur in “nature”, but there IS a decent chance of finding some on a local farm if they keep aged manure piles. I can still remember the very first time I saw a population of red wiggler worms. I was working at a horse farm and happened to dig into a pile of manure sitting behind the barn. It was absolutely LOADED with red worms! I had never seen so many worms in one place ever (nor have I since then). If I had been into worm composting at the time this would have been like hitting the jackpot.
When it comes to adding worms to a new system, I like to err on the side of caution. I prefer to build my population up to the ideal level, rather than using standard guidelines. A widely accepted recommendation is to add 1lb of worms for each sq ft of bin surface area you have. So if your bin is 1.5 X 2 ft (width x length) it should be able to handle 3 lbs of worms. I would personally rather add 1lb of worms to a bin this size and let the population reach an population equilibrium on it’s own. Red worms reproduce very rapidly under favorable conditions so it shouldn’t take too long.
Building & Setting up a Worm Composting Bin
Here are three Youtube videos I made, demonstrating how to build and set up several types of worm composting bins (the third video only shows the building process, but you can certainly apply the same methods shown in the first two videos).
Setting up a Basic Worm Composting Bin
This is a basic as it comes – the simple Rubbermaid tub worm bin. For anyone just getting started, and looking for a very easy-to-build and inexpensive worm composting system, this is a great option. Just remember – you should always use a tub that is opaque, especially if you are going to keep the bin in a brightly lit location! Light can stress out or even harm the worms.
Setting up a “Deluxe” Worm Bin
This is a slightly more advanced system than the “basic” shown above. One of the limitations of enclosed plastic bins is that they can become “swampy” over time due to water accumulation in the bottom. By creating a system with a drainage reservoir you can help to eliminate this issue, and create some better quality worm compost in the process. I don’t actually use this type of system myself anymore, simply due to the fact that I used mostly open systems (which takes care of the excess moisture concern) and I just generally like to keep things as simple as possible. But don’t let that stop you from using this type of bin (lots of people seem happy with this approach!
The “Mini” Vented Worm Bin
This was originally a system I created to sell as part of a worm bin kit for those who didn’t feel like making their own bin. I later decided to stop offering the systems (didn’t really enjoy mass producing them), and instead have put more focus on providing DIY guidance.
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Hi Patricia,
Wood shavings (and any woody materials) are very resistant to breakdown, so I’m not sure I would say they are a good replacement for cardboard – BUT you are definitely on the right track by not throwing it away (you are right – that would definitely be a waste). If you mixed it with some manure and left it to rot for awhile I bet it would be fantastic.
B
Bentley, great idea for the shavings. Thanks. After I mix them with the manure I assume I would hot compost it for a bit with a tarp cover? Do they also need to be turned and/or watered periodically? Since we have 10 horses we have more than enough manure to try different things. This may also be a good pile to mix ALL my manures together (pig, goat, rabbit, cattle, chicken in moderation) and see what happens. I really have to figure out a better way to use all manures and products around our farm instead of paying 175 USD a month to have it hauled away. That is killing my budget!! TIA Patricia
Wow – now I’m definitely jealous, Patricia! It sounds like you have a LOT of great worm food.
Hot composting is definitely a good option, but as you realize yourself it does generally require more management (turning etc). If you can bulk up your manure enough with straw etc you can compost it passively, especially if you create some sort of raised bed that allows air to flow underneath the pile as well.
Check out this video for some ideas:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=uHm4zpyI4hg
(it’s a little long, but I think you might find it interesting)
B
Is there such a thing as too many worms in an indoor bin? I have a small-sized bin (1 ft. x 1 ft. by 2 ft.) and the worms have multiplied like crazy. Are they unhappy if they’re too crowded in there?
Hi Tammy,
Worms will only continue reproducing if conditions are favourable. Once the ‘carrying capacity’ has been reached for that container (and given amount of food provided), the number of worms in the bin should stabilize. In other words, don’t worry all that much about too many worms.
That being said, if your desire is to continue expanding your population, then I would highly recommend starting one or even two new systems – this way the worms in each of these bins will have a lot more room and food at their disposal and it will lead to lots and lots of breeding as a result.
B
I want to start my worm sanctuary and have been saving up food scraps for a few weeks so Im almost good to go. I just wondered how many worms you would start out with per bin (probably going to go buy a rubber maid type thing – the half height ones that are about 3ft by 2ft by 1ft high). Also a food question, can you feed them dog hair or use it as bedding? I just shaved my dogs and have tons of dog hair and nothing to do with it!
Also, if you do elevate the bin and put it in a collector tray type thing, is the liquid that drains out going to be like plant fertilizer?
oh, sorry, another question, I live in Mississippi where summer temperatures regularly exceed 100F (we already have in excess of 90F), would it be ok to keep my new pals in the garage or do they need to be in the house in the ac?
Thanks
I’m wondering if the material that accumulates in my shredder (from bank statements, mailings, etc. – all just office paper) would make good bedding material in place of shredded newspaper, cardboard, etc that you recommend. I just stumbled upon the practice of vermiculture today, and I’m very intrigued by the idea. Your blog is of great help and interest to me. My interest was sparked by the purchase of Terracycle Tomato Plant Food containing liquified worm poop. I’ve fed all 11 of of my young container-grown tomato plants with the product weekly for 2 weeks now, and they are very robust and darker green in color. Your blog does not explain how to harvest the compost. How do I obtain a liquefied product similar to the Terracycle product to use directly on my container-cultivated tomatoes as I go through the short growing season here in Minnesota? How should I harvest and save the compost material that accumulates through our long frozen winter if I start this project indoors now? Is odor very discernible? I’m considering buying one of the stacking bin type of arrangements that are marketed specifically for vermiculture on a small scale such as the Worm Chalet or the Expandable Worm Tower hoping for greater ease and convenience of use (even if at greater cost). Is it worth it?
Thank you so much
About a month ago I recenty started a Worm Factory bin with 1 pound of red wigglers. I keep it indoors and have good resuts so far. I added the second bin to the top a few days ago. The second bin sits on top of the contents of the first bin. I was wondering if the weight of the top bin will bother the worms that are stil working in the first bin? The worms are migrating between the two bins and I have found some juvenies that I think must have been born in these bins.
Another question, after reading about mites, where do they come from? Are they in the dirt outside? I was looking for some leaves on my compost pile outside, and saw earthworms in it. I didn’t want to mix this stuff in with my redworms because there might be alot of unknowns.
I was happy to find this website, I think that taking care of the worms that take care of the earth has to be good karma. It is nice that they don’t hurt anything living, and help clear away the rotting stuff.
Hey
I watched the video on getting started. I have been collecting food waste for about a month and its all rotted and gross, with little bugs all over it. Is it ok to use this food? or should I start again with the cardboard and layering etc that you do in your video? Can I layer these old scraps with the card board?
Lauren, If you put those bugs into your composting bin with your redworms, you will probably continue to have those other bugs in there. Some might not be harmful but some may be harmful.
Terry
Wow – looks like I’ve missed a LOT of comments! Sorry guys!
Lauren – The number of worms you start with is up to you. I often like my worms to grow into a system, but I’ve also added high densities to a bin and have been impressed with the processing power of a lot of worms. Generally, I would recommend the second option only for those with vermicomposting experience, since you definitely need to know how to set up and manage a system well. I think 1/2 – 1 lb is a good starting place for most beginners. Just make sure you monitor how quickly the worms are consuming the wastes, and adjust your feeding accordingly.
Dog hair can certainly be used in a worm bin – it will act as a slow-release nitrogen source. I’d be careful with the amount added though – it should only be a supplemental bedding in my opinion since large quantities may cause the bin to heat up at some point, or create nasty conditions due to excess nitrogen (ammonia gas production being an example).
Worm bin leachate isn’t the same thing as worm tea, but if you dilute it and/or aerate it well (using an aquarium air pump and tubing) it should be ok.
If your garage is regularly getting up over 100 degrees I would definitely keep the worms elsewhere – this is just too hot for them in my opinion.
B
Hi Chris,
Let’s see if I can tackle all those questions of yours.
🙂
Shredded paper can work well, although I generally prefer not to use it as a primary bedding. The bleach used to make it white can potentially irritate the worms. It also gets matted together, thus impeding air flow. Maybe try mixing it with shredded cardboard.
I have a video that shows how I separate worms from vermicompost (when using a regular plastic tub worm bin, that is). It’s not a great video, but should at least provide you with some idea of how this is achieved.
https://www.redwormcomposting.com/worm-composting/simple-vermicompost-harvesting-method/
compost harvested during the winter can be used to feed indoor plants, or simply allowed to dry out somewhat and stored in any container that allows air in (should NOT be air tight). It may lose a little of its potency, but should still be great by the time spring arrives. If you harvest in the fall, you may actually not even need to harvest the bin again until the spring anyway – all depends on how the bin is managed.
Good quality vermicompost should not smell bad – it should have a nice earthy odour. If it smells bad it has likely gone anaerobic and should simply be allowed to dry out somewhat.
Stackable worm bins are a great way to separate worms from castings, without any major effort on your part. They DO cost a lot of money however, and it’s up to you to decide if it is worth it. Given the fact that you are really keen to produce vermicompost and worm tea, investing in one of these might not be a bad idea. I have a wooden stacking system along with all my various other bins, but I haven’t really put it to the test yet.
Terry,
I don’t think the weight of the trays will be a major issue. Worms are pretty tough and I’m sure they will move upwards once conditions become unfavourable.
Mites likely come with the worms (specifically the bedding they are shipped in) in most cases, but certainly can be added via various outdoor materials (leaves, soil etc) you put in the bin. It is very tough to avoid them altogether, but if you want to do the best you can I’d definitely stay away from anything coming from outside.
Lauren (again – hehe),
The little critters are likely mites. I never recommend that people totally give up and start over, but that is of course up to you. Without the worms in the system, these other creatures can take advantage of all the food present. Once the worms are added you may see a decline in their numbers (the mites that is). A worm bin is a full ecosystem – many organisms working together in harmony. Only when the system is out of balance will any particular group of organisms take over and get out of control.
Pingback: Composting: Week 1 Update
Bentley —
I’m very interested in starting up a worm composting system (outdoor) at my north Idaho (hot summers and cold winters) home. I’ve done quite a bit of reading on the subject (your website is great!), but still have some questions. 1) I’d like to build stacking bins out of wood for ease of harvesting castings. Can you give me an idea of a design? Also, if this bin is insulated properly, will my worms survive temps as low as 0 degrees F and as high as 100 degrees F? I’m prepared to supply whatever insulation is necessary. 2) I’ve heard that pet wastes (dog and cat) can be added to worm bins as long as the castings aren’t used for fertilizing plants that may be used for human consumption and as long as non-clay based cat litters are used. Please advise on this. Thanks.
Hi Kurt,
I’ll be honest – I am NOT a design guy at all. I do have a large outdoor worm bin that I insulate for winter vermicomposting. You can learn all about my efforts here:
http://www.compostguy.com/winter-composting/
A temp range between 0 and 100 F sounds quite extreme, but I’m sure you could do it.
I’m going to be writing more about pet waste vermicomposting again very soon. Stay tuned.
🙂
B
I am wondering whether I can use “compost starter” sparingly on the kitchen scraps I am saving to feed a worm bin to jump-start the decomposition process with a microbial mix. I’m stockpiling food scraps to slowly feed to a brand new worm factory containing my first pound of red wigglers I received last week. I don’t want to overfeed, but I want the food to be started down the aerobic decomposition pathway prior to adding to the bin. Can I sprinkle a small amount of organic compost starter mix into the food receptacle while it awaits addition to the worms? Might it hurt the worms? It contains a bacterial and fungal mixture.
Thanks
I had a friend give me 5 pounds of redworms and would like to know if a 27 quart is too small to put them in ? I am new to this and would like to see if they will be happy in the 27 qT CONTAINER. I placed them in there and feed them some water melon and cucumbers the entire cuc was gone in no time at all …
Chris – I’ve always been a little skeptical of compost starters – after all, simply adding a handful of finished compost or even good quality soil will inoculate a compost heap with all the necessary microbes. That being said, if you do happen to have some, adding a bit to your scrap mix might not be a bad idea at all. Building the microbial community is definitely your goal, and this stuff should help.
I doubt it would cause any harm, unless it happens to contain fertilizer salts or something like that (not likely if it is an ‘organic’ product). Maybe add only a tiny amount the first time you use it to see if there is any adverse reaction – if not, you can increase the amount the next time (although you likely won’t need much to kickstart the microbial community).
HC – 27 quarts is a pretty small volume for keeping 5 lbs of worms happy long-term, especially if it is an enclosed bin or bucket. I have open tubs that hold 41 liters and I keep 5 lbs of worms in each, but they are quite shallow with a lot of surface area and no lid. Generally it is recommended that you add 1 lb per square ft of surface area – but if you know what you are doing (ie you are an experienced vermicomposter), you may be able to keep worms at densities even higher than this.
Hi, Bentley-
I’m loving this site- getting a lot of great information. I first found this site while searching for compost bins (the ones with handles to mix the compost – I’ve been composting my kitchen scraps for awhile now just by having a pile outside I throw my scraps onto) I found these bins to be very expensive, so I’ve been trying to find a way to make something my self when I discovered vermicomposting – I love the idea. I have 2 school-age kids and got to thinking that this would be a great science project for them – something they can use when science fair time comes around – maybe experimenting with feeding worms only certain types of food and testing the soil to see how it differs… lots of possibilities.
Anyway, I’ve started my collection of mixed waste and bedding. I’ll be ordering 500 worms. My only concern is having too much waste. (I’ve read about how over-feeding can be a problem) How much waste and bedding should I have prepared for my 500 worms?
Thanks, Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Glad you found the site! 🙂
When it comes to preparing the bin ahead of time, there really is no such thing as ‘too much’ of anything (unlike when you start actually feeding the worms) – well, ok…assuming you add everything in a reasonable ratio (somewhere between 1:1 and 2:1 – bedding:food). All I’m saying is that you could set up a 100 gallon worm bed, yet only add 3 worms and there is a decent chance they would be fine. The only issue becomes WHEN to feed them next. In my exaggerated example, they could probably just be left to sit for 6 months or more without the need to feed them anything else.
Your 500 worms (perhaps ~1/2 lb or so) would do just fine in some sort of small to medium sized Rubbermaid (or similar) tub – perhaps in the 5-10 gallon volume range (I’d opt for something closer to 5 personally). Simply mix up some bedding and food waste in the ratio range mentioned above, filling the bin most of the way – then let it sit for a few days (or more if you can). Make sure to monitor moisture and overall conditions inside – mix materials occasionally before worms arrive. Once in the system let the worms chill out for at least a few days, then start adding small amounts of waste. Let them basically tell you how much to feed them. If the wastes are disappearing quickly continue adding more.
Anyway – hope this helps, Debbie!
B
Bentley-
Thanks for getting back to me so soon. You’ve answered my questions perfectly. I just ordered my worms this morning and I feel very confident that I am doing things right to be prepared for when they arrive.
I’m also saving my dryer lint – I think I’ve heard that worms like this – am I right?
Thanks again,
Debbie
No problem, Debbie
Dryer lint can be a decent long-term food source. It does generally take awhile to break down, but it also helps to add some structure for the worms. Not sure I’d use it if bounce sheets are being used – may end up with substances that can irritate the worms (not sure about that though – just a possibility).
B
Bentley,
I just started a new worm bin around 3 weeks ago. Every thing looks to be doing fine. (Thanks to all I’ve learned on your site..) I have noticed that the worms crawl all around the sides of the bin. Is that something I should be worried about?
You have a great site by the way…..
Nickey
I am just starting out with Canadian Crawlers and maybe hope to have a few extra for fishing once in a while. I purchased a rough neck Rubbermaid container, placed shredded, cardboard, egg cartons and the worm bedding in the contaner and wet it down some till it was like a sponge but not really soaking wet. I have my crawlers, I purchased already. I purchased 2 cartons of twenty-four crawlers and am leaving them in the fridge for a few days, till the bedding is fed. I am saving all my coffee grounds and fruit peelings to place in the bedding. Do you put the food wastes on top, or mix it with the bedding?. The container is dark blue, with a lid. I just found your site and am really learning a lot about worms. I will be keeping it in my coldest room with ice packs on top during the hot days. The winter is cold here in Northwest Ohio, during the winter and my spare bedroom stays cool all winter long, but doesn’t freeze. I keep all my canned foods in there that I can during the seasonal rush. How deep should the bedding be? All the way to the top or just up the side? If I am only placing 48 crawlers in the container to breed, do I need more bedding? Thanks for your help. Diana
Hi Diana,
It sounds as though you are well on your way to creating a great worm bin – only problem is that Canadian Nightcrawlers (Dew Worms) are not ideal candidates to live in such a habitat. They are soil dwellers and need lots of space. While you could likely keep them alive for awhile, your chances of producing a healthy, thriving population are very slim.
I would suggest that you purchase some European Nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) instead – these are a large species of composting worm that can be kept in a worm bin and don’t require cooler temps.
Hope this helps – and sorry if I’ve burst your bubble. It is great to see your enthusiasm!
🙁
P.S. Filling your bin 3/4 full with bedding/food is a good start – this level will continue to go down and you can always top up with more bedding over time.
Thanks Bently. I appreciate your help. I will instead order the compost worms and leave the crawlers out. Maybe by the time I get the worms, my compost bin will be more than ready.
Hi!
I am interested by composting worms, but I am not know who can send worms in Romania! Know you everybody surce what send this worms in Romania please???
Thanks!
Bentley-
Are peanut shells something I can put into my bin?
Thanks, Deb
P.S. – My worms are doing great. I have them outside. My ‘bin’ is actually a rolled up picket fence (about 3 feet high, with space between pickets). When rolled up, it holds everything in well, and because of the space between pickets, there’s a good amount of air flow. I live in New England (Rhode Island) and I would really like to be able to keep them outside all year, so I’m finding your recent posts about temperature on your blog very interesting and useful. (I’m thinking about making some kind of ‘trench’ for the winter.
Thanks again, Deb
Gabriel – I think I’m going to write a post about worm suppliers in other countries – hopefully we’ll hear back from some people that can help you out.
Debbie – peanut shells would probably be a great addition to a worm bin since they would help to increase air flow. I suspect that they would take awhile to break down though – so you would likely need to screen them out if you were planning to sell the castings.
I’m sure you would be able to keep Red Worms alive during the winter in your region – Rhode Island is definitely in a warmer zone than up here in Ontario. To make sure you are safe, it’s always a good idea to dig a pit beneath your composter – down in this zone materials are not likely to freeze solid even if it’s that cold on the soil surface. A trench should work well for you as well if you have a decent amount of straw or fall leaves to use for insulation.
Hi again Bently, I just recieved my compost red wigglers. It seemed like there was a thousand worms in the bunch,Ha! I have them in the bin, most of them seem to have worked their way down. Now, how often do I feed them. I am using the rubbermaid 18 gal. tub. It gets rather warm in there so I added some ice, a couple of foam cups, on the top of dampened news paper. They seem to be eating the rich foods I have composted in that tub and the moldy smell is down sufficiently. I think, I remember you saying to feed them once a month, unless the food on top, is gone. Then add more. I hope, I am right. They seem to be happy where they are. They are not trying to get out. Thanks for your help.
Diana,
When adding ice to your bin, be sure you don’t get the bedding too wet.
My worms have been outside under a shade tree all summer so far. We have sometimes seen 100 F. Worm beds can maintain a cooler temperature than that of the outside. If your bedding is getting rather warm, you may have some material going through a heating stage.
Hi Diane,
Not sure about the ‘once a month’ feeding suggestion, but feeding based on the rate that it is disappearing is always a good way to go. You don’t need to wait until everything is completely gone, but if you notice things are starting to pile up a bit, give the worms some time to process what’s there without addition materials added.
I would not recommend adding ice unless you have LOTS of drainage. You definitely don’t want water pooling in the bottom.
Thanks again! My bedding seems to be going down, a bit. Could be settling or being eaten. Not sure, but I haven’t let the water enter the bedding, any more, just placing the ice in a container and sitting it on top of dampened news paper. Since you said they don’t really need the ice, I will forgo that, from now on. I have them in the livingroom, in a corner and the air conditioner has been on for a few days, now, It has been, somewhat, hot here, the last couple of days. The bedding, don’t seem overly moist and I am adding some organic bedding, tomorrow, to refill the bin, again. It is called Magic Worm Bedding. it comes in a box that looks like dirt. It should be ok. I am only adding the one 3 lb. box to the bin, at this time. Some of the worms want to come up to the top of the bin, I have to hurd them back down, but none has escaped, yet. I am hoping, the newly added bedding will help. The banana peel is gone, after three days. I have another one ready. Can I use peelings from Concord grapes or are they too acidic? I am going to can some grape jelly tomorrow. After the peelings have been squeezed, as far as, I can get them, I will add the pulp to the bin. Maybe, a little at a time, if I have to. Let me know, ok?. Thanks for being there. The worms still look healthy and they are getting bigger, already.
Hi Diana,
I suspect that magic worm bedding is mostly (if not entirely) just peat moss, which certainly work just fine in a worm bin. Grape skins may take a bit of time to break down but they should be fine, assuming you aren’t adding multiple pounds of them at once. The pulp should be good as well – again, moderation is the key. Not sure what quantity you are talking about, but you may be able to add all of it.
Don’t feel that you need to only add one thing at a time and wait until that one this is 100% gone – you will be fine if you do this (since the worms can feed on the bedding as well), but you can definitely get away with have a few food pockets on the go at once.
Hope this helps
B
This was very helpful. Thanks for the clear information. I live in Portland, OR, and would love a local supplier if you know anyone!
I did have a question about corn husks…I would guess they’re fine to put in, but do they take forever to break down?
Hi Lorraine,
I take it you won’t be needing a local supplier anymore? 😉
Corn husks work well in a worm bin – they do take some time to break down but can help to add some structure (for aeration and habitat). Corn cobs take a LONG time to break down, but the worms seem to enjoy making them into homes.
B
Hi Lorraine,
I live in Portland, too, and am just getting starting on my vermicompost adventure. 🙂
I’ve found very few retail suppliers of anything related to red worms, but have discovered several people who have been secretly nurturing their own little wiggling colonies. I found the Oregon Extension Service to be the most helpful. Feel free to drop me a note on my blog if you want to compare notes. 🙂
Good Luck!
DeDe
I NEED SOME HELP, I WILL DO THIS IN TWO POSTS
I HAVE A THREE LEVEL WORM BIN MADE OUT OF THREE SHOE BOX SIZE PLASTIC BINS
I HAVE THE BOTTOM BIN SET UP TO COLLECT DRIP THRU LIQUID FROM THE ABOVE BINS
ALL THE BINS HAVE ADEQUATE AIR FLOW, ETC…
MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT I AM MESSING UP THE BEDDING THING
I AM CONFUSED AND PROBABLY IGNORANT ON WHAT TO DO
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE DONE SO FAR
I TOOK A LAYER OF SHREDDED NEWSPAPER ABOUT 1 IN DEEP PLACED IT IN THE BIN AND SLIGHTLY SPRAYED IT DOWN WITH WATER TO MOISTEN BUT NOT SOAK IT……MORE
I THEN PUT ABOPUT 2-3 INCHES OF MOIST, NOT WET TOP SOIL ON TOP OF THE NEWSPAPER…I THEN PLACED IN 1 CORNER OF THE BIN SOME COFFEE GROUNDS, LETTUICE, AND CUT UP COFFEE FILTERS FOR FOOD.
AFTER READING A LOT HERE i AM GETTING THE IMPRESSION i SHOULD HAVE MIXED ALL OF THIS STUFF UP AND JUST HAD A COMBINED MIXTURE….WOULD THAT BE CORRECT
ALSO IF THAT IS HOW IT IS TO BE DONE HOW WOULD I THEN ADD ADDITIONAL FOOD?
I ALSO READ SOMEPLACE THE WORMS NEEDED A BIT OF SAND FOR GRIT..I HAVE NOT YET DONE THAT…SHOULD i?
HELP PLEASE
TED
Hey Ted,
You definitely don’t need so much soil – only a small handful at most. These are not soil worms, so they would much rather have a rich matrix of organic materials. The little bit of soil would provide grit, so don’t worry about adding sand etc.
Additional food gets added once the worms are nicely settled in to the bin and have greatly reduced the food materials you’ve already added. Let their feeding habits be your guide – if the food is not disappearing, simply wait longer between feedings. If it is being consumed readily, simply add more.
Hope this helps
Hi I cant wait to get started, I think I will start to shred some cardboard this evening, anyway I did have one question, is it ok to leave my bin outside all winter, I live in Washington so we dont have harsh winters, but just want to make sure my guys stay alive.
Hi Talia,
A regular plastic worm bin doesn’t offer much protection from the cold. If it dips below the freezing mark at all during your winter months you may want to try using some sort of insulated system.
I’ll be writing a lot more about this myself as the cold weather develops here (Ontario, Canada).
B
My garden club make worm composting bins last night. The director purchased the red worms from the bait store near a lake by our home. My questions is this. Are these the right kind of worms to use.
Thanks
Quick question(s). . .
I had an avacado ruin 🙁 Given the high fat content, is it okay to put it my worm bin?
My worm bin is a newly established 10 gal storage container. I drilled small holes in the bottom and sides. Right now it has some veg scraps and approx 15-20 worms in it from the bait dept at Walmart (frog food i managed to keep alive) I’m waiting for my 1/2 pound of worms to arrive.
If the avacado is ok, i assume i would wait until the bin was better established, ie, if it happens in the future. Also, do i need to sand the rough ‘points’ off the inside of the bin where the drill bit went in? Last question, i was diiging for said worm food and checking out the scraps anad their were maggots. is this a problem?
Thanks for such an informative site – wish i had found it 2 days earlier . . .
Quick question(s). . .
I had an avacado ruin 🙁 Given the high fat content, is it okay to put it my worm bin?
My worm bin is a newly established 10 gal storage container. I drilled small holes in the bottom and sides. Right now it has some veg scraps and approx 15-20 worms in it from the bait dept at Walmart (frog food i managed to keep alive) I’m waiting for my 1/2 pound of worms to arrive.
If the avacado is ok, i assume i would wait until the bin was better established, ie, if it happens in the future. Also, do i need to sand the rough ‘points’ off the inside of the bin where the drill bit went in? Last question, i was diiging for said frog food and checking out the scraps anad there were maggots. is this a problem?
Thanks for such an informative site – wish i had found it 2 days earlier . . .
Hi Bently,
I love your website!!! I think I may have a question that hasn’t been asked yet — what do you do when your number of worms outgrow your containers? I really have space (and kitchen scraps) for only one good sized one. I live in a fairly rural area so I’m not sure how many I could give away — of course, I’m probably being cocky thinking about having too many worms before I’ve even started but …. oh well 😉
Thanks much, Constance
We just finished our first worm bin and have it up and running, it is 3 ft by 6 ft and we have about 9 lbs of Euro’s living in it. Although we live in cold country, Washington State, we came up with a way to heat it. We were shooting for a temperature of 78 ddegrees F but it has settled in at 84 degrees F. Is this to warm? The worms seem happy but we want to be sure. We plan on making more of these beds after this one is perfected.
Thanks Rod